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Setting the 'Stafford' standards at Chichester College for new hair academy

Written by: Chichester College
Published on: 21 Sep 2015

Award-winning hairdresser Lee Stafford wowed students, staff and local stylists and salon owners during two exclusive shows at Chichester College.

To celebrate the launch of the new Lee Stafford Education Academy, Lee demonstrated his cutting and finishing skills and showcased his 'recipes' for successful styling during two shows at the college's Chichester Campus.

The shows were designed to demonstrate how the new partnership between Chichester College and Lee Stafford Education will be ensuring local hairdressing students are being given the best training possible.

Lee was joined on stage by Liam Fry, one of his team of talented trainers - known as STAFs - to demonstrate his vision to standardise training given to budding stylists, giving them solid foundations to build upon.

He said: "We invited local salons to share with them and show them the recipes that we'll be using so that they can see what their young people are going to get if they come here.

“As an employer I know from my own experience that sending a young person to college puts a lot of pressure on the salon. They are out of the salon for a day and when they come back and they haven’t always learnt the skills needed so I'd have to train them again.

"What I want to show local employers is that if you send your young people to Chichester College, we're going to send them back to you with brilliant skills. Blow-drying, highlighting, tonging, cutting - they'll have all those fundamental skills so that they can go back into your salon and make it more efficient, effective and profitable."


As soon as the evening finished, many of the hairdressers took to twitter to share their excitement.

Jessica Hayler, from Jessica Hayler Hair and Beauty, said the evening was 'truly inspirational' while Hannah Gardiner tweeted that she couldn't 'wait to get into salon in the morning and use the recipes!'

Chichester College is one of a handful of colleges in the country to be working with Lee Stafford and is one of the first to be part of the Lee Stafford Education brand. The reason, Lee explained, was simple.

He said: "Chichester College is an outstanding college. It's entrepreneurial and has the same high standards and vision as Lee Stafford Education. That's why it's the perfect partner for us.

"The Lee Stafford Academy here at Chichester College is all about excellence, our aim is to create Michelin-star hairdressers and to do that you've got to create Michelin-star trainers. That's why we have been working with the trainers here at Chichester to make sure they are at that standard.

"They have really embraced the model and they'll now be able to inspire students, who will be able to go out into the workplace with all the skills they need to make the most of this brilliant career."


Shelagh Legrave, Principal at Chichester College, added: “Working with Lee, one of the most successful hairdressers in this country, is a truly exciting opportunity for our students and staff.

"His enthusiasm, talent and approach to training the next generation of hairdressers is something we admire and want to pass on to our students.

"We are delighted to be working with him to offer hairdressing students here the very best education possible."


The Lee Stafford Education Academy is based in the heart of Chichester College’s main campus at Westgate Fields, Chichester. Courses are available for both full-time and part-time students and apprentices. Find out more at www.chichester.ac.uk

Chichester College Lee Stafford